Mahal committee in Kerala’s lanslide-hit Kavalapara set example to be emulated

Kochi: Setting examples for others to emulate, a mosque threw open its gates to allow in bodies of landslide victims at Kavalapara in Malappuram.

A temple at Eravathur near Mala in Thrissur had taken the daring decision to allow Muslims to offer prayers for Eid-ul-Adha prayers during last year’s floods.

The faithfuls used the hall of the shrine to offer prayers after their mosque in Kochukadavu was inundated.

The management could take the decision as temple was run by the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam set up by the 19th century sage and social reformer Sree Narayana Guru in 1903 to promote the philosophy of one god for all.

The Jamaithul Mujahideen Mahal Committee which governs the mosque at Kavalapara has done several such things in the past.

“This is not the first time that the committee is taking such steps. We have done a lot of work for the benefit of the people in the past. These include offering about 1 acre for setting up a government hospital at Vettikulam in Malappuram. The management had received just a token amount as remuneration for handing over the land,” said a committee member..

The secretary has the discretion to take a decision in similar situations and was duty-bound to inform the committee within 15 days.

In the recent incident, the secretary took the daring decision to allow conduct of post mortem of bodies recovered from under the heap of earth dumped by landslide in Kavalapara in Malappuram. Practically all structures were razed to the ground in the massive landslide that claimed over 50 lives.

Mahal committee secretary Abdul Kareem told The Covai Post that the decision was taken with the intention of helping humanity.

At least 40 bodies were brought to the place for post mortem. There was no objection from any quarters against the management’s decision to allow postmortem.

“When the request came from cop CA Mujeeb, we decided to allow the doctors to carry out post mortem in the hall. Initially, two bodies were brought and women’s prayer room was given for it. The tables used in Madrassa were used to carry out the post mortem,” he added.

The mosque management also constituted a team to be sent to help in search and rescue operations.